Daily Devotionals

Who needs forgiveness?

Do you still remember the historical World War II? Discover one of its stories by reading our today's devotional entitled, "Who needs forgiveness?"

Today's Scripture:

Acts 16:30-31, NLT

Then he brought them out and asked,

"Sirs, what I must do to be saved?"

They replied,

"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household."

Observation:

England's historic Coventry Cathedral was devastated when Nazi planes blitzed it during World War II.

In the middle of the ruins, the authorities placed a huge cross made from two charred beams of wood.

On that cross engraved the words, "Father, forgive."

Yes, not the three familliar words of Jesus we tackled yesterday, "Father, forgive them."

Just, "Father, forgive."

Why is that so?

The fact that the word them is omitted reminds us that not only did the Nazis who ordered that destruction need forgiveness but all of us.

Only God can determine if one sin is greater than another. So we don't have any right to point fingers or judge one another. But one thing is clear,

Romans 3:23 (NIV)

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

God's standard of perfect obedience is revealed in Jesus Christ alone.

That's why all of us, whether victims or the one who who commit the mistakes, stand in a helpless need of God's divine forgiveness.

Application:

Many of us think that if they just do good works, learn more about their religion or even just step in a religious sanctuary they will gain the forgiveness of the Lord.

But they are all wrong!

God has already provided salvation to everyone who accepts His Son Jesus Christ.

If you haven't accepted Christ's free gift of forgiveness, pray to Him and ask Him to save you.

Deciding to put your trust in Jesus as your Savior is the most important decision you can make in life!

And once you've done that, make the second most important decision:

Determine to follow Christ's leading daily.

Prayer:

Dear God,

I acknowledge that the separation between us is because of my sin. I confess that I have sinned and fall short of Your glory. I thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty of my sin.

I believe that He died on the cross for me and You have raised Him from the dead.

I am sorry for my sins and I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me.

I want to turn away from everything the Bible calls sin and I receive Jesus as my Lord, Master and Savior.

Help me to love, serve, and obey You for the rest of my life. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Declaration:

I declare forgiveness of our sins and our salvation and the salvation of our entire household! I declare that God will equipped and used us for spreading this truth to all nations. In Jesus' Name, we declare and received it! Amen.

Let's talk about it:

What is the difference between mercy and grace? What do you think so?

I am glad to hear you in the comment section below. (English and Tagalog are accepted)

God bless us all!

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Some passages are retrieved from Our Daily Bread, 1995 and One 2 One by Steve Murrel (1996-2013)